Flexible manufacturing systems are predominantly machine-operated systems that can be used to manufacture products. These computer-operated machines are arranged to form various cells that each perform certain tasks to assist in the manufacturing of the products. Often, one or more of the machines used in a flexible manufacturing system can be an automatic guided vehicle (AGV). An AGV is a mobile robot that follows markers or wires in the floor of the manufacturing facility, or uses vision or lasers as its guide through the facility.
AGVs increase efficiency and reduce costs by helping to automate the manufacturing facility. AGVs can be used to tow objects behind them such as raw materials or finished products. Some AGVs can use fork lifts to lift objects for storage, or to place materials on an assembly or manufacturing line. For example, AGVs having a fork lift can be used to transfer metal blanks to the proper location along a manufacturing line in a stamping facility. When an AGV has a fork lift, a laser alignment system can be used to make sure that the tines of the fork lift (which can be retractable) have cleared a certain distance relative to the manufacturing line so that no contact between the AGV and the manufacturing line is made.
The laser alignment system generally includes a ceiling-mounted laser that emits a laser beam toward a floor-mounted reflection device. If the floor-mounted reflection device becomes dirty, the reflection device will not properly reflect the laser beam, which causes the manufacturing line to fault. If the line faults, the machine where the laser alignment system is located must be locked out and the reflector cleaned. This causes a loss in manufacturing time, which decreases productivity of the manufacturing facility.